A Master And His Neko, Reluctant Relience
by MewSara100
Summary: Kish had never been one to really consider his actions before he followed through. That, in its self had been enough to cause Ichigo to turn into a cat that night. Now, when Ichigo is forced to stay under Kish's care, will love finally bloom? RxR! NYA!
1. Chapter 1

"I.....can't move. Kish, please, don't do this!" her cries of humble desperation, the look of sheer terror and brokenness that graced her features, it hurt. I had merely been attempting to convince her that being mine was much better than being with that Aoyama guy, but had ended up failing.

Instead, my anger got the best of me, and I did what I had been trained to do...attack.

Watching in numb, dull, painful silence, I now regretted my decision, having harmed the one I most cared for. However, in my ranting, raging anger, I hadn't taken notice to her pleas, trying to explain something, and merely scoffed and teased her.

"Say it then, Ichigo...promise me your heart. Beg me to release you, and I just might consider it. Your allies cannot help you now, my kitten." watching in stiff, unsureness, I was currently debating weather or not to let her go. The look of pain, the tears streaming steadily down her fair, flawless features, she was unarmed and weak.

"Kish...I had come of my own accord, and I had even left all traces of harm to you back at the cafe. No pendant, no Strawberry Bell, no teammates, nothing. And still you attacked me, without considering why I had come, uncaring towards weather or not I was going to help you and your people...You say that I should love you...but that's becoming even harder than it had been before. How can I entrust my heart to a man who says he loves me, and would even die for me one minute, then turns around and tries killing me, out of jealousy the next?!"

At these words, so honest, so true, a sudden, sharp jolt of pain flew through me like a knife. It had nearly been unbearable, the pain within myself, the only thing that kept it from consuming me was the sudden spark of realization.

There she lay, suspended helplessly in the the air by my rose and thorn vine Kimera, nearly being squeezed to death, while being stabbed by giant thorns. She seemed weary as well, having not enough energy to even manage a stable glare in my direction. Instead, those sharp chocolate pupils softened and blurred in sorrow and in pain, as her entire face went pale.

The thorns, in their paralyzing poison, had finally reached her. She was helpless to defend herself from anything I or my anima's were to attempt.

Motioning swiftly for the vine to unravel from around her, I hastily shot over to her side, catching her frail body as it fell out of the air.

She was light, extremely light, as she lay tucked in my arms. Her body, warm and petite, shook some against my chest as I made my way down to the ground level. Desperately she attempted to move, only to, once again, go limp from paralysis.

With extreme care, I placed her tenderly down, onto the abandoned park bench. The cool night's breeze swirled around us, having kicked up furiously just seconds ago. It was then that I heard it...The tap tap tap of feet on cobblestone, the labored breathing of four other girls.

They'd come to collect her, to take her back, into that cruel world, full of unforgiving, forsaking, disgusting humans.

"Kish! GET YOUR FILTHY HANDS OFF OF HER!" there it was, the bird mew's shrill voice floating like nails on a chalk board, throughout my ears.

Soon, it was followed up by the wolf mew, who's own voice shook some, yet remained level and strong. "What have you done to her?" as she neared me, I watched her eyes fall on her comrade, shocked and worried.

"AH! Ichigo-San?!" the light, frightened voice of the fish mew was the next to intrude on my thoughts. Finally deciding to glance up, to meet their gazes, I found that she had stopped, dead in her tracks, hand over her mouth as she stared worriedly down at Ichigo.

"Ichigo Na No Da...?" no matter how innocent, even the monkey mew appeared horrified as she stared down at her defeated ally.

"It's not what you think...Honest...STOP LOOKING AT ME LIKE THAT!" by now, I too had tears in my eyes, fresh, hot, painful, worried, confused. I had no clue what I'd been doing, attacking her.

She'd done nothing to me, hadn't even replied when I'd asked her to marry me. I suppose I have no excuse, however, because I had acted on what I'd supposed was a no from her, and had ended up harmed her.

"You idiot! She had no intention of fighting you, no intention of saying no to you when you asked her to be yours, and yet you still did this to her!" the bird mew's eyes narrowed angrily down at me, and where I sat, on the ground beside the bench I'd set Ichigo on.

"You mean...she wasn't about to reject me again?" tilting my head in confusion, I was now at a loss for words.

"No...She had come to find you, to give you a Mew Aqua. She figured that you could use it to save your people, and prevent war. She even said goodbye to Aoyama because of you!" growling deeply, angrily towards me, the wolf mew's cold expression is what caused me to find my voice.

"I'm so sorry...Ichigo. I hadn't meant for anything like this to occur. I love you, and am not worthy of your love in return. I'm so sorry I've hurt you so badly, my love." as I reached over, about to start stroking her cheek, I suddenly shrank back, feeling that I was not worthy to even look upon her face. And so, I turned my head from her and simply sat there, numb to the cold, numb to the world, only feeling the hurt that I had caused her.

"...Ngh...so cold..." a sweet melody, one low, soft, light, sleepy, drifted into the breeze, caressing my ears, followed by the light rustle of cloth.

"Ichigo...Are you able to move now?!" quickly running over to the still sleeping neko, Lettuce was about to shake her, when suddenly she had been engulfed in light.

Said light had been quite bright. Bright enough for me to shield my eyes from its intense glow. However, as I reopened my eyes and dared a glance down at Ichigo, I realized, in great shock, that she wasn't there.

Or, rather, a cat, whose onyx fur blew gently in the strong breeze, now lay where my dear Ichigo once had.

I'd been just about ready to say something, asking one of the mews what had happened, when suddenly, out of nowhere, a pair of hands scooped the cat up.

Turning in shock, I came to realize, in a small amount of relief, that it had only been the blond and the cafe's baker.

"Ryou...What's happened to her? You haven't kissed her, or made her flustered, and yet, she turned into a neko." eying the cat in question, the brunette then proceeded to hand the small cat to Ryou, who cradled her carefully to his chest, being extra sure not to disturb her peaceful slumber.

"She's gone through quite a bit of stress today...I think she turned into a cat, in order to better retain energy." lifting her up some, the blonde carefully pecked her on the nose, his lips lingering there for what seemed like centuries.

By now I'd realized it was Ichigo who'd turned into a cat, and was about to tell the blond to stop kissing her, when he began to speak again.

"Because of Kish, she has become too weak, and will only return to normal if her conscious informs her that it's safe for her to become human. By instinct, it'll be hard for her to trust now. Thankfully, it isn't in her nature to hiss or scratch, so it should be fairly easy to hold her. However, there's still the matter of waking her up. We need to feed her and warm her up, or she might catch cold."

"OK, but what about Kish?" and finally somebody remembers I'm here! The monkey mew stood there, pointing bluntly down at me, yet she kept her eyes intently fixed on Ichigo's sleeping cat form.

"I think he should have to help take care of her. After all, I think she'll need to learn to trust him, in order to fully recover." the voice of reason finally returns! The wolf mew had intervened, her voice cold and blank, angry, no doubt.

"If you think you can trust me, then sure...Rest assured, I would never hurt her." I must have looked pretty pathetic there, on the ground, staring up at the blond, in hopes that he would pity me as well and say yes.

Obviously he had, because soon I had noticed that he'd slowly, silently begun to make his way over to me, with Ichigo wrapped in his arms.

"I trust you enough, Kish. If I hear of you, or your comrades harming her, testing on her, or violating her _Kish, _I will kill you my self." with one final glare shot at me, he finally held out his arms, carefully balancing Ichigo, so that she wouldn't fall.

"Thank you so much...I'll take great care of her! I just hope that she'll trust me..." tenderly wrapping her in my arms, holding her to my chest, I figured that she must have been dealing with a lot of stress when I'd attacked, for her to have passed out and turned into a cat.

My anima's paralysis may immobilize you, but it won't knock you out, in any way shape or form.

'It must be that Aoyama guy...They said she left him.' staring down at her intently, I tried to send her some kind of reassuring messages through whatever way I could.

"May I leave then? It's getting colder outside, and she's shivering." I had securely wrapped her in my arms, attempting to keep her warm. However, each time the wind blew, she would let out a tiny meow of weak protest to the cold, before shivering slightly.

"Go..." motioning angrily for me to leave, I nodded and began to float to my feet, not wanting to disturb my neko's rest with unnecessary movement. "We'll be checking in on the two of you weekly, so don't you dare try to pull anything funny."

"Fine, bird chick. Cool it already. You say you trust me with her, and yet you keep yelling at me that you'll kill me if I let her get hurt. Do you honestly think I'd even let her out of my SIGHT?!" one long look in my direction had been all it took to convince them fully.

"Good point."

"Yeah, you of all people would be the last to purposely harm Ichigo."

Nodding a slight acknowledgement to them all, I then telaported, finding myself in my own room aboard the ship.

"So...I guess you'll probably hate me, once you wake up, huh?" carefully, as if setting down a small babe, I let her go, watching as she snuggled desperately into the softness of the dark green bedsheets I used in my room.

"Nya...nyanya!" purring blissfully in the warmth my blankets provided her, in comparison with the previously cold breeze from before, she seemed totally at peace.

"I'm going to go take a quick shower...I'm trusting you to stay right here, OK?" receiving silence as my only answer, I reached over and grabbed some extra pillows and blankets, constructing a makeshift fort to enclose her in, so that she wouldn't escape.

**RxR! God Bless!**


	2. Chapter 2

It was nearly ten at night, by the time Kish had finished his shower, having gotten back at nine thirty. He'd stayed in much longer than usual, in order to think. So many things were floating around his head that night, it made it difficult for him to think straight.

'Ichigo...I'll take care of you. Really, I will. Will you find it in your heart to forgive me? Please, trust me Ichigo...I would never dream of hurting you like this!" a lone tear slipped from the corner of his eye, despite the many droplets from the shower head.

Meanwhile, in the room, Ichigo, in her weak state, silently tossed and turned, semi-conscious. She was dreaming, yet it felt like a nightmare. Her heart throbbed within her chest, and tiny meows and nyas escaped her tiny feline lips.

_"Kish...Why are you here?" it was deftly silent there, as she sat, slouched, on a boulder. She'd been watching Kish intently for the past five minutes or so, wondering why he appeared so downhearted. In her dreams, she was free to be kind to him, because she knew he would never find out in the real world. _

_"Ichigo, you don't know how sorry I am about you being hurt! It's my fault that I didn't call of the anima...I just stood there and watched it happen, when I could've easily called it off." bowing his head in an act of sorrowful apology, he desperately wished that she would, at least, forgive him._

_"Kish...It's not easy for my pride, but I guess I can say it, because it's only a dream...I forgive you. I'm not really that mad, just really stressed...I wish it could be that easy in the real world...I guess I'm just scared..." blushing wildly, she sighed, folding her legs beneath. Leaning over, she gently brushed the boy's face, causing him to jolt some in surprise, and raise his head, in order to fully face her._

_"Ichigo...So, you're saying that, if I can get you to trust me in the real world enough for you to, outright, tell me you love me, then...what WOULD happen? I mean, you're a cat right now, so would that change you back?"_

_"Well...It might, I suppose. It's just not the right time for me to turn back into my old self yet...It feels like there's something more that has to happen, before that..." smiling reassuringly down at him, she slowly leaned forward, pecking him lightly on the top of the head._

_"Ichigo...in all truth, do you love me? You can tell me, you know. I mean, we ARE in a dream, after all." smiling hopefully, he covered her hand with his, leaning up, their lips just barely an inch away. It was then, however, that everything began to fade._

_"Kish, I lo-" snatching away her hand in shock, she held it to her chest, squeezing tight her eyes, in pain. "I-I'm sorry, Kish...I must be waking up then...I'll tell you, the next time we meet...in the world of dreams." her tone was soft, sorrowful. As if she didn't want to wake up, leaving the dream Kish, and the vast world of dreams that made it all possible._

Running in quickly, having just pulled on his night pants, Kish slammed a shaky hand down on the off button. Watching in amusement as his guest gently tossed and turned, before slowly lifting the lids of her eyes and looking around, obviously confused.

"You must have slept well, my pretty kitty. It looks like you're still sleepy though." chuckling lightly, he held up the bottle of cream he'd snuck from the fridge, beginning to pour it's microwaved contents into a tiny dish, for Ichigo. "Here, drink this and you should fall back to sleep."

Setting the bowl down gingerly on the bed, he watched in amusement as she scurried over, hungrily lapping it all up.

'That was weird, a few minutes ago...Was I imagining things, or was I really dreaming about Ichigo? Oh well...I guess it's a sign then.' shrugging bluntly, he took seat beside her on the bed, casually leaning over, his arms resting on the tops of his knees, his bare feet positioned numbly on the hard wood of the floor.

'Hmm...I had one of those dreams again then...This time though...it was as if I were actually speaking to Kish...What's going on?" finishing her cream, she wearily spun around, patting down her sleeping area with her paws before finally stretching and curling up tightly, into a fury onyx ball beside Kish's pillow.

"Goodnight, my cute little kitty..." yawning heartily, he found himself sprawled out beside her, loosing consciousness the moment his head hit the pillow.

However, neither dreamed at all that night, the both of them having had all the emotion they could take right then, in the last dream. Besides that, it just seemed too weird for Ichigo. She was scared of how real it all was, compared to the other dreams of Kish.

If it was indeed reality, through a shared dream, she didn't want it. She didn't want him knowing her true feelings towards him. She just wanted him to think they were friends.

After all, if she stayed, if she gave him her heart, then the costs would outweigh the benefits. He had his people to protect, and she had hers, that's just the way things were, and would stay.

Although, she did want to, at least, avoid war and help him help his people. Even if Pai and Tart still saw her as nothing more than human, she would still help their people, for the good of another living being, and not herself.

**I know, I know, you're all wondering the same thing. However NO, they haven't come to a turning point. Not just yet at least. Throughout everything, they'll become more reliant on one another. What will come about, if Kish manages to turn Ichigo back? What will the two feel then? Reviews equal cyber cookie cards for the entire second chappie! God Bless!**


	3. Chapter 3

"Neko-Chan...good morning, my beautiful princess!" wincing at the excitement that carried on the boy's lighthearted mood, Ichigo simply turned over, rolled up into a tiny little black ball, tucked in her legs, and covered her tiny face with her delicate little paws.

"Nya." that had been it. It was a short, blunt response, yes, but it DID get the point across that she wasn't in a very good mood.

Despite Kish having been totally silent and totally gentle that night as she slept, he'd managed to roll over frequently, wrapping her unconsciously into his chest. Thus she would wake up, silently hiss, bat at his forearms till he let go, and would relocate to another area of the bed, at the end.

However, it didn't really seem all too safe there either! For, once she was there, she found that, as he would toss and turn in the night, he would frequently nudge her in her side with his foot, still sleeping. So, narrowing her eyes, she would dig her claws lightly into the softer area of his foot, causing him to awaken, only to fall back to sleep upon seeing Ichigo curled up peacefully on his leg.

He would then shut his eyes and drift back into sleep, leaving Ichigo to reopen her eyes and roam throughout the bedroom.

Though, as soon as she'd jumped from the bed to the ground, she instantly felt her body become weak, her entire world seeming to spin out of control, out of proportion. She would wobble uneasily towards the faintly outlined shape that she could only guess was a desk and chair, try and leap onto it, only to fall off once more.

Apparently the bed had seemed quite the uncomfortable place to sleep, not liking the fact that she was constantly being hugged or accidentally kicked, and she had wanted to find some warm spot, away from Kish's tossing and turning.

There she stood, eyes slightly narrowed in anticipation, her backside swaying slowly as her tail silently swooshed from side to side. She was preparing to make one final attempt at leaping onto the chair, when suddenly the light flickered on beside Kish's bed. Too late.

She'd proceeded to jump, the light having startled her too much for her to properly prepare for it, therefore she found herself stumbling backwards, once again suffering from a spell of dizziness that had swept over her.

"Hm, I don't think sick kitties should do things like that. Come on now, it's pretty chilly out tonight, and Taruto broke the furnace. Here, you'll sleep beside me tonight." wearily trudging back into bed, setting the still confused neko on his pillow by his face, he swiftly pulled up the covers, in hopes of warming up his precious little kitty.

Wrapping the blankets snuggly around both himself, as well as Ichigo, he then proceeded to loop his arm around her tiny body, nudging her closer to him, where she would receive the most warmth.

Ichigo, realizing that it was futile, fruitless effort to struggle, simply decided that she would snuggle up to Kish's neck, placing her own chin above it, hoping that he would choke during the night. Though, secretly, she hoped that it would bring him extra warmth.

It wasn't long, however, before she began to purr in content pleasure, noting how softly his heart would beat, rhythmically, almost harmoniously in tune with her own. She secretly relished this moment between the two, sighing inwardly with contentment.

'This is the good life.' she thought to herself, suddenly feeling her heart jump slightly within her tiny chest. Suddenly, she felt quite a bit warmer than she had mere seconds ago.

What was going on?! This wasn't a normal reaction! Even when her heart would beat uncontrollably fast whenever she would stare at him in battle. Nothing had ever come close to the adrenaline that seized her body at that moment. Suddenly, however, the feeling seemed to absorb into her, and all was at peace.

That is, it HAD been at peace, for about a second or two, before her body began to glow bright pink, swapping fur for soft human skin, fair in the pale light of the moon shining elegantly, mysteriously upon her and Kish's bodies through the window. Whatever black fur that was atop her head had suddenly appeared as familiar strands of beautiful crimson locks on the background of a light green pillow, mingling silently with Kish's own green locks.

Her body had grown as well, no longer taking the shape of a cat, but rather the shape of a human body. Not just any human body, however. The curved, beautiful body that Kish had always yearned for, longed to hold.

In the place of a neko slept a woman. Ichigo herself had fallen asleep, clad in only the light dress she'd found herself in when she'd met Kish in the park that night. Her hair was down, flowing over her nearly bare shoulders, tickling Kish's nose lightly.

The light pearly blue of her cotton sun dress merged with Kish's own deep green cotton night pants as her petite figure rested in his arms. Both breathed lightly as they slept, blissfully unaware of the recent change, and even more unaware that it would soon end, and she would go back to being a neko for the time being.

However, she unconsciously basked in the lovely feeling of Kish's firm, reliable arms, entangled around her own, warming her to the core. Silently into the night, she couldn't help but to breath his name but once, sending unintentional shivers down the boys sleeping body.

"Kish..."

"Ichigo, my neko!" his arms held her tighter, his nose softly resting atop her head, taking in her lovely strawberry scent.

**I hope you all aren't mad at me! Lately I've been writing stuff for another account, on . My username is Mew Sara. Also, if you'd like, go to my profile page and click poll. PLEASE VOTE! I really don't know why, but I just want to change my username to something not named after a restaurant! RxR!**

**God Bless you all this holiday season! From Sara!**


	4. Chapter 4

"Ne, Ichigo-Chan~! Where'd you run off too, my cute little neko?" he could have sworn he'd reset his alarm for eight-thirty, wanting to be awake and ready with breakfast for his tiny, furry little guest.

"Nya!" was the only response he received as he searched diligently around the room, under his bed, in his desk drawer, in his closet, and under his pillow.

When he'd heard the voice though, he'd quickly proceeded to turn towards his windowsill, gasping as he watched Ichigo curl up casually on the thin edge of the window, light green curtains wrapped around her as she watched him carefully, clearly amused at his frantic searching.

"Oh! There you are, my cute little kitty! You had me so worried, and I didn't know what to do! Come on, let's go into the kitchen and fix some breakfast… Hey…" with her now tucked deeply into his arms, he'd proceeded to open the door, glancing at his alarm clock warily.

"Nya?" although she played dumb, Ichigo knew what he was getting at when he'd noticed the little light on the alarm clock was off. 'Don't get too mad, Kish. You were tossing and turning so much that I thought you'd have a hard time getting out of bed anyways!' grinning inwardly, she listened intently as the question escaped his lips.

"Did you, by any chance, turn off my alarm?" their eyes met, magenta to gold, Kish's mouth twisted some in a questioning sort of manner, while what could only be described as a smirk sat comfortably across Ichigo's own furry lips.

"Nya~!" was all she wrote before drifting into a convenient, mid morning, nap.

"Smart ass…" he grumbled, holding her a bit tighter as he descended the stairs, trudging wearily into the tiny kitchen, setting his napping little neko gently down, into the empty fruit bowl on the table before heading back in and fishing messily around in the fridge for a bottle of cream and some microwavable French Toast Sticks out of the freezer.

As he did this, he was blissfully unaware of the monotonously dark figure that had chosen to grace the kitchen; his violet dark eyes narrowed in annoyance, crusted with sleep, the deep purple of his messy hair contrasting greatly to the near paper pale of his face.

"Why're you making such a racket down here, Kish? I thought that you of all people would be off training by now…" his words were a slurred grumble as he forcefully wiped at his eyes, trying to rid them of their curse of sleep.

"Oh, I would have, Pai, I would have in a heartbeat. Though, I'm just now waking up… A little better than you, I'm guessing?" smirking sarcastically, Kish crossed his bare arms loosely across his shirtless, firm chest, raising a single, questioning brow towards Pai. *I'm drooling over that description!*

"Whatever…I'm just going to have a piece of fruit, so don't fix me anything, ok?" trudging out of the kitchen, Pai was headed for the table-and the fruit basket!

'Shit!' he cursed, setting out the items from the fridge before running urgently over to where Pai sat, newspaper crisply unfolded in front of him, coffee cup beside him, with his head resting limp in his hand, his free hand reaching over, grabbing for a piece of fruit.

"Pai, don't eat that!" dashing into the dining room, Kish was almost too late.

There Pai sat, mouth agape, having almost bit down on the poor neko in his hand. His eyes were now uncharacteristically wide, and he appeared to be quite confused. "Kish…?" he growled angrily, glaring at Kish from out of the corner of his eye.

"Yes, Pai?" nervously rubbing at the back of his head, Kish reached out, wanting his cat back.

"Why is there a cat in our fruit basket? …Have you gotten yourself into some kind of weird cult or something where they eat cats?"

"Of course not! That's just sick, Pai! I have a perfectly reasonable excuse-REASON, why there is a cat in our fruit basket!" Kish stated lightly, with a blunt wave of his hand. "You see, I just thought we could use a pet around the base, so that we wouldn't be robbed!"

'That's a pretty lame excuse, Kish. He might have believed you, if you'd have said you were using me for a kimera… Too late now then.' Sighing hopelessly, she was not, at all, ready for what Pai was about to say.

"Fine then… Here, feed her and let her nap somewhere BESIDES our fruit basket." Handing over the cat, Pai's straight face remained his eyes deep and cold, his voice flat and monotonous.

"Thanks, Pai! Don't worry, 'cause I'll find her a really nice place to sleep!" grinning happily, he wrapped both of his hands firmly around the neko, lifting her to rest against his shirtless chest as he turned and wandered back into the kitchen, almost floating.

Realizing that something was terribly wrong with the way Kish grinned at the moment, Pai felt strongly inclined to add, "And, I swear to God, if you put her in mine or Tart's room, we can't promise that you'll escape unscathed."

"Sure, sure, whatever you say, Pai!" a massive anime sweat drop had made its home on the side of Kish's face, while a similar one could be seen on Ichigo, who was a bit more uneasy at Pai's threat than anything else.

"Nya~!" suddenly jittery, Ichigo had begun to feel an uncontrollable need to jump down and away from the two.

"AH! Neko-Chan, stop squirming so much! If you do, you'll fall again. Just hang on a sec so I can get your breakfast. I don't even see WHY you're struggling like this!" tightening his firm grip on her, he chuckled softly, clearly amused at her instincts.

"Morning, Pai!... Kish?" eyeing Kish questioningly, Tart's face showed obvious confusion. However, deciding that it was probably nothing out of the ordinary, he moved wearily on, dragging his feet sluggishly towards the cupboards, where he finally retrieved a bowl.

He had already begun to move wearily towards the fridge for milk, when finally he had decided to ask the newly formed question on his mind.

"Kish?"

"Uh, yeah, Tart?" glancing up in surprise at the youngest alien's grumbled words, he had totally forgotten that he was holding Ichigo prisoner in his arms.

"Why aren't you training right now? I thought your morning routine required intense exercise…. I still think you're too self conscious though. Have you been watching those workout and fitness tapes again, Kish? For the last time, you're NOT fat!" realizing suddenly that he was becoming sidetracked, Tart swiftly halted, returning to the topic at hand. "Sleep in, Kish?"

"No, Tart, I didn't. My alarm didn't go off, so I didn't wake up on time. Besides that, I know I'm not fat, I just think that sitting around doing nothing but reading or playing video games all day is fun, or healthy!" shrugging lightly, Kish then returned his full attention to the struggling neko within his arms. "Gosh, you're sure feisty today, Neko-Chan!"

"Hey, I don't play video games ALL day!"

"Yeah, and I don't read ALL day!"

"Oh, I'm so sorry~! You're right, I guess. Tart only stops playing video games long enough to visit Pudding or stuff his face, while Pai usually locks himself away in his room, on his computer. Actually, Pai, I think you DO read all day."

"Kish, I keep telling you that I DON'T!"

"You DO read all the time, Pai. Actually, you must read a whole lot, to have gotten no new books to read."

"Kish, there are countless books on this world and our own! Besides, what would make you say that I've run out of good reading materials?" eyeing his comrade warily, Pai allowed his elbow to find rest atop the oak tabletop, his chin resting lazily on his fist as he awaited Kish's response.

"Well, I just figured, 'cause the only books I ever find under your bed anymore are Cosmo! I'm truly disappointed in you, Pai! Whatever happened to those 'Other' ones?" grinning evilly, a single eyebrow raised questioningly, Kish watched as Pai's face became pale, his eyes drain and become dull. It was as if he'd had a heart attack or something, which only caused Kish to laugh.

"I can explain that! Besides, those 'Other' ones should still be under there!" quickly composing himself, it still seemed as though he was ready to faint, though his eyes now held a tiny spark of anger within them.

"Cool it, Pai, cool it! You know I was only kidding, right?!"

"Oh… Well then, forget you ever heard any of that!" soon a sweat drop of his own appeared at the side of his head, his hand nervously scratching the back of his head.

"Meow…" was all Ichigo bothered to mutter as she coiled up in Kish's arms, still not believing what was just said.

"Ok, ok, I'll get you something to eat then, Neko-Chan!"

"Nya…" she muttered from within her tiny ball of fur, a single ear twitching as she did.

"Kish, just keep in mind that the only reason I'm letting you off easy with the whole cat thing, is because I don't doubt that Mew Ichigo will keep you in line in our absence." Again with the cold, flat tone, the old Pai having fully returned.

"Say wah?" spinning to face his comrades, Kish's sharp golden eyes widened in shock, his mouth agape. "W-what would POSSIBLY lead you to believe that this furry little feline is Mew Ichigo?"

"Meow." It were as if she were grinning, her deep magenta eyes glowing evilly as she greeted the two properly.

"You're not helping, you know!" nudging her lightly, Kish glared down at her as he watched her curl back up into a ball and shut her tiny eyes once more.

"It's kind of obvious though, Kish. Besides, both Pai and myself have already seen Mew Ichigo's cat form in battle with the other Mews." Shrugging nonchalantly, Tart plopped own lazily onto a chair, bowl, milk and cereal box in hand.

"That and we often see you lazing around, drawing her that way." With this, Pai motioned easily to the pile of pictures Kish had conveniently left laying on the couch last week before bed.

"So that's where those ones went! Thanks, Pai, I've been searching all over for them!"

"Not the point, Kish. We were recently contacted last night by Mew Lettuce, informing us of her arrival."

"I was totally against it, but Pai went and agreed to it anyways! He says she'll teach you responsibility and crap like that... Why's the old hag went and left herself without her powers to talk to you is beyond me though."

"Nya…"

"Right back at you, OLD HAG!"

"Nya nya, nya nya nya….nya nya MEOW!"

"I see how it is! This means war, cat, this means war!" shaking his fist angrily at her as she hissed angrily back, the only thing that pulled the two from tearing into each other was Pai retraining Tart, and Kish holding Ichigo.

"Well, I've got her breakfast, so I'll be going back to my room now." Waving easily, Kish exited the dining room, Ichigo in one arm, a bottle of cream and a dish in the other, with a hot-pocket dangling from his lips, held firmly between his teeth.

"THIS ISN'T OVER, YOU EVIL FELINE~!" these were the hysteric cries that could be heard as the door shut behind them

"TART, JUST EAT YOUR BREAKFAST!"


	5. Chapter 5

_**IMPORTANT NOTICE!**_

**Dear readers, it's been brought to my attention that a certain author has directly plagiarized my stories.**

**The person's penname is Cullenloverbaybay15 and she outright plagiarized everything, down to even the summary. **

**I'm not mad at her, but I do feel like a want to cry. I can't believe that anyone would do something like this, just to post a story. **

**Fanfiction is a place where writer's create things and bring dreams to life. To do this is to steal someone else's dream and use it under their name. **

**I just wanted to post this and tell you all, because it might just be a mix up, I don't know.**

**Cullenloverbaybay15, if you are reading this, I just want to let you know how upset this has made me.**

**For those who still think I'm lying, check the dates on their stories and my own. I created my stories way before this author and I want things straightened out.**

**Please, don't be mad at this person, because that's not the right way to go about something like this.**

**God Bless you all, and may you all make the right decision, for the sake of all stories on fanfiction.**


	6. Chapter 6

**OK, first, before I begin the next chapter of my story, I just want to inform anyone who doesn't already know, that lately three of my stories has been completely and utterly plagiarized by Cullenloverbaybay15. I'm hurt at this, and it makes me feel really sad, to know that someone would do this to my stories.**

**On a lighter note, I hope that you all enjoy the next chapter!**

"Here you go, Neko-Chan!" plopping her down lightly onto the bed, Kish smiled warmly, his eyes playfully dancing as he watched Ichigo make herself comfy on his bed. "Drink up, Kitty Kat."

"Nyan…" glancing up innocently, Ichigo was silently debating whether or not it was safe for her to let down her guard.

It seemed to take centuries for her to finally accept the food he'd offered, and it was as if Kish would die of edgy anticipation. "Ichigo, just eat already, would'ya?

Huffing in annoyance, he watched silently as Ichigo began to inspect the saucer of cream. This too seemed to take forever, what with her having to sniff it, eye it, taste it then finally decide she'd drink it.

"Ugh! Finally, Ichigo? Really now?!" somewhat shaken at the sight, Kish simply shrugged, retrieving the now empty saucer from the bed. "That took you all of what? Ten, no fifteen seconds to gulp down, and you took like five minutes testing it?"

"Nya." Was her subtle reply as she patted her tummy in gratitude, eyes tightly shut and ears perked.

"Smartass!" he muttered, setting the now empty dish onto his bedside table. "Also, don't think I don't know what you did."

Narrowing his eyes, he watched her large magenta eyes open, her ears perk even further, and her tail begin to swish from one side to the other.

"Nya?" tilting her head in innocence, Ichigo grinned inwardly, enjoying the odd look on Kish's face.

"You know perfectly well, 'What?'." His eyes narrowed, and his hand rose up, his index finger pointing downward upon her.

"You're just mad because I'm screwing with your head. Don't take it personally, Kish. You never DO get enough sleep, huh?"

Gasping in shock, Kish glanced about the room, searching desperately for the source of the voice.

"Taruto, that's not funny!"

"What isn't, Kish?" teleporting into the room, he appeared behind Kish on the hardwood floor, his cereal spoon still in his hand.

"You mean YOU weren't the one imitating Ichigo's voice?" glancing up at Tart, from where he himself sat upon the bed, Kish seemed even more confused.

"Of course not, you idiot! I just got done eating breakfast, and Pai went back to his room."

Coincidence, I think NOT! XD!

"Then, I must be hearing things again. Thanks, Tart."

"Whatever, dork." Grumbling in mid morning drogginess, Tart exited the room, in order to shower, dress, and finally… Visit Pudding.

Yes, that was his daily routine now a days. It seemed as though it were becoming normal, however, for Pudding's siblings to expect him every day.

"I may be a dork, but YOU'RE a Tart!"

"That makes NO sense, Kish!"

"Yes it does! Being a 'Dork' is a lot better than people comparing me with YOU!" he shot back, hand instinctively reaching down to pet Ichigo's ears.

However, due to his lack of observance, instead of fur, his hand met teeth. Long, sharp, kitty teeth! That plus Death Claws *Not from Call of Duty* that threatened to tear his very skin off, gave him cause to worry.

"Um, Kish, I'd love to stay and argue, but I think you should probably withdraw your hand before you get it lopped off by HER!"

"Good idea, Tart, I did NOT think of that!" he shot out with sarcasm, tugging on his hand, in hopes that she'd release it. However, it was to no avail. It just simply would not escape Ichigo's hold.

"I'll go ahead and pretend I didn't hear that… Anyways, before you said something about hearing things 'again'. In my personal opinion, Kish, you need to stop sniffing whatever it is you've been sniffing already. Drugs Kill!" with this, he left.

"I do NOT smoke anything! I just hear voices is all!" he shouted after him as the door shut, leaving the room to remain silent once more.

"Sounds like you've probably got some issues you need to work out."

"Hey! Who keeps saying that?! I know you're here!"

"No duh, Sherlock! I've been here for what, a whole night now?!"

Glancing down uneasily, Kish's eyes then came to rest upon Ichigo, the furry onyx ball of fluff who still had her claws dug deep into his hand.

"I hope you realize that, that doesn't hurt." Raising a single brow, Kish was slightly amused by the way she dug her claws further in. "So, mind telling me why you can talk but still choose not to?"

"You're the only one who can hear me, Kish. I don't even know why that is, or why any of this is happening, but it is none the less." Her eyes met his, and it seemed as though she were dead serious. She herself didn't know what was going on.

"Ok, fine… I guess if I told Pai and Tart, they'd call me nuts." As he sat upon the bed, beside Ichigo, he began to ponder their current situation. 'Let's see, only I can hear her, and we don't know why… Could it be because of that dream the other night? Is our bond that strong?'

After a while of this 'intense thinking' he decided to stop for the time being, feeling that he might injure his precious brain by thinking TOO hard.

Meanwhile, Ichigo, who was seated comfortably on the bed, at Kish' side, nearly falling into the indent his body had created in the mattress and sheets, was at work herself, wondering what it was that was going on.

'Well… If I'm not mistaken, I think as time goes on, our bond will strengthen and I'll gain more of myself back… Poor Kish though, having to put up with this constant uncertainty. I wish this would just all end, so that life could go back to the way it always was.' Sighing audibly, she allowed her body to become limp, leaning fully against Kish as he stared blankly at the wall.

At this point in time, it all seemed so hopeless. On one side, Ichigo was unwilling to give Kish her heart, and on the other, Kish was desperately trying to prove himself to her, longing for her to, one day, trust him enough to turn back.

However, as they sat there together in silence on the bed, it seemed as though neither fully realized just how hard it was for the other to do.

Ichigo had her pride, not wanting to be taken in by Kish's charms. She also had her fears, such as not wanting him to go and abandon his people, all for the sake of love.

Kish had his love, his sudden urges to just run up to her and kiss her, to comfort her when she cried, to live in harmony with her forever. However, he also had his pain, the deep, singeing pain of unrequited love, of constant denials, of yells and hits and threats from the tiny companion at his side when she'd been in Mew Form.

Neither knew what to do, yet they longed so desperately for the stability of the way things used to be… More or less, they both longed for one another's arms, for safety and protection, for love and compassion.

Though Ichigo still had no clue at all as to how vast his love for her spread, she could almost physically feel the warmth he emitted. Come to think of it, this new found warmth was almost unbearable to stand.

Just one minute… She was pretty sure her body was the one getting warm. Meanwhile, accompanying it was a vast swarm of butterflies, the feeling varying on many different scales as she stared up at him with wide magenta eyes.

She wasn't sure, but she was almost sorta positive about it. Kish looked like he was glowing, his eyes, and those dazzling golden eyes; they shone bright in the sunlight from the curtain beside him as his chin rested in his hand.

'So, that's why he's glowing… A window.' With a tiny Kitty shrug, she soon found herself falling into sleep, the familiar bliss of the dream world soon enveloping her.

Little did she know, Kish too was beginning to drift into that same world, where they would soon become closer to the key to their uncertain predicament.

**RxR! God Bless you all!**


	7. Chapter 7

'Wha…what's happening? Where'd the room go? Why does this feel so comfortable, like I've been here before?' shivering at first, due to a foreign sort of cold chill floating around in the stagnant atmosphere, she was slightly confused on what was happening, even though it'd happened once before.

'Neko-Chan… Where'd you go, silly cat?' he thought playfully, his body naturally ignoring the chilly atmosphere around him as he floated, eyes shut lightly in thought.

Moments later he'd opened them, after receiving silence as his only reply into the deep, overwhelming darkness that his body floated through. However, soon recognizing this familiar feeling, he began to think out loud, grinning as he did. "Looks like we need some better scenery around here…" and in the blink of an eye it all began to change, his mind piecing together exactly where he wanted to be.

"Nya... Did-did I oversleep?" she muttered aloud, unfurling upon the warm surface beneath her, curling her paws into the odd, grainy texture. Peaking open her large magenta eyes, she glanced around curiously, stunned into silence as she took in her surroundings. This wasn't what she remembered Kish's room looking like at all.

Soft, white sand, warm and light, made up the small indent she'd become used to, the faintest sounds of lapping waves across the nearby shoreline soothing her ebony ears. In the distance could be heard a flock of seagulls, scouting the waters, the air, the land, for any possible source of food for the day.

The sun, she saw, was shining brightly against a tranquil backdrop of navy blue, dotted every so often with small, wisp-like clouds, white as the wool of a newly born lamb, and probably just as soft. However she herself was shaded comfortably beneath the protection of the broad, deep green leaves of one of several palms that adorned the heavenly beach.

"Comfy, Kitty?" a voice, familiar and soothing, had spoken softly off to her side, almost totally behind her. However, the joking tone the voice used had signaled exactly who it belonged to. So, shifting easily across the sand, she maneuvered herself enough to get a clear view of the voice's owner.

"Even in a dream, I'll claw you." She warned bluntly, flexing her claws as she sat, as if to prove her point. "Don't joke."

"Ok, ok, serious, I get it." He eased, hands raised before him, as if to prove he was willing to not joke for now at least.

"Good…" she muttered, standing fully in her neko form, stretching her long, onyx body, ears pointed back and tail curled. "Now, I just have to figure out how I got out of my cat form last time, so that I can do it this time."

"Well," muttered Kish, deep in thought, "this IS a dream, and we're both sharing it, so I guess all you have to do is WANT to change back into your old form."

"Good point, I like your thinking…" so, fully serious now, she'd not met his eyes as she focused her full attention on turning back to normal.

"Still not working? It should be easy though!" he noted, laying back easily in the sand. For some reason he wore no clothes on the upper half of his body, dark green, almost black, swim trunks covering his lower half. However she couldn't say she really minded his shirtless state, his bare chest making her blush under her fur. He was strong, that she could see, however he wasn't overly ripped and hulk-ish. He was just right for his body type, and her blush only grew as she pictured herself wrapped up in those strong arms, head against his bare chest.

He'd no doubt noticed her ever growing blush, even through her jet black fur, and had decided that maybe, just maybe, it was safe to go about with what he'd always wanted to try. It was, after all, the perfect, romantic scenery for it, and he figured that, if it was embarrassment that usually brought about this change, then it may very well be something along those lines that would snap her out of it, at least in the dream.

So, wordlessly, he leaned over, scooping her up before she could even begin to protest, not that she was about to, and he held her tight to his chest, leaning back comfortably against the palm's thick trunk.

"Before you start clawing me, just relax. I wanna try something I THINK may help snap you out of that neko form." He explained vaguely, sighing as his stress began to melt.

She could feel it, the deep thumping of his heart within his chest, and it soothed her somehow, to know that such a calming rhythm existed. That plus the warmth he was giving her was overwhelming, and caused a strange surge of emotion to flow through her. At that moment, glancing up at his tranquil face, his beautifully carved jaw line, the way his eyes had fluttered closed in relaxation, and the way his lips pursed lightly as he began to hum a simple tune, it felt right.

The urge grew stronger still, nearly engulfing her completely, and her small body being led by the nose as she headed for those beautiful lips. And that's when it happened, instinct and desire took its course and her lips met with his. At that one moment, fur gave way to soft, warm lips and the heat of her body grew, expanding into her now human limbs.

Kish, having proved his theory true, was waiting with ready arms, wrapping them fondly, securely, safely, around her now human body, triumph, victory, success, all welling within him, as well as the regular desire, lust, and love he felt for her.

It was at that one single moment that their worlds had been brought together, and nothing could separate them, nothing stood in their way. They'd taken full advantage of this situation without realizing it, soaking up each other's touch and taste and warmth until finally they had to breathe.

So, gasping deeply for air, they parted, their eyes meeting once more as their breathing steadied.

"If only it could be like this in reality…" he muttered, their tranquil fantasy fading away slowly, until finally they were back into their own minds, regular sleep patterns running their course.

Meanwhile, back in the real world, Ichigo's human body shrunk once more, her new cat form cuddling wearily into Kish as he slept, embracing her as if she were the wind, about to slip through his fingertips.

**I have to admit, I was having writer's block at the beginning of this fic, but then the ending hit me and I got excited! I really hope you guys enjoyed the fluff of this chapter as much as I did as I wrote it! RxR!**

**God Bless!**


End file.
